One of the top 10 Christmas songs of all time- it actually is ranked #7- is the song: “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey.
The song goes like this: “Don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need, I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree, I just want for my own, more than you could ever know, make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you.”
I think that is actually one of the most romantic songs at Christmas. Do you know why? Guys, if your presence is all you are really getting your girl for Christmas this year and she loves that; you’ve got it going on.
I say that tongue and cheek but did you know that while Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year; it is also ranked as #1 for the most stressful times of the year; the second most stressful is tax time; both for the same reason, financial pressure.
Transition:
The first Christmas was also a time of financial pressure for Mary and Joseph. They actually traveled to Bethlehem which was a costly journey, and the purpose was to respond to a call for a census so that they could ultimately be taxed.
There is no doubt that Mary and Joseph were not wealthy people. He was a carpenter by trade which was a common job and when Jesus was born Luke confirmed that Mary and Joseph were poor, primarily through the fact that instead of offering a lamb as an offering for the first born in the temple as prescribed by Leviticus 12: 6-8; they offered the “lesser” sacrifice of two young pigeons.
In her song of celebration of God’s goodness she actually speaks about the poor saying: “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich empty handed.” Luke 1: 53
It is apparent that she knew what it was like to feel like you didn’t have enough.
It is often asked, “Why did God choose parents for Jesus that had financial limitations? Why was the only place for Jesus to “lay his head” after birth in a cradle that was nothing more than a feeding trough for animals? Why was Jesus poor?”
Jesus even later compared Himself as Christ and the Creator saying: “Foxes have hole and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20
Jesus was a borrower. He borrowed boats, multiplied borrowed food, rode a borrowed donkey, he was even buried in a borrowed tomb, and yes, he even laid his head in a manger that he borrowed from animals.
Why all this? What’s message of the Bethlehem backdrop? It’s a message of hope. When real hope comes from. It’s teaches us that real Christmas hope comes from. It shifts the spotlight off the materialism and shifts it on the Messiah.
It teaches us that hope has a name; and His name is Jesus. Mary knew it immediately and she was the first to celebrate Christmas by singing the first Christmas song; we will hear its lyrics today.
Transitional Sentence: From Mary’s song we discover how Jesus presence fills our hearts with hope and real joy when we might be tempted to think: “I don’t have enough?” We leads us to:
I. Prioritize The Giver Over the Gifts
vs. 48-52-“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.50 And His mercy is to generation ]after generation Toward those who fear Him.51 He has done]mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the ]thoughts of their hearts.52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.
Explanation:
Financial issues are at the top of the list of family problems. It is actually the known cause of 56% of divorces in America. People and families struggle when it comes to choices about finances. Believe it or not, more rich people get divorced over money issues than the poor.
As a Pastor, I have been around funerals and funeral homes a lot and I have learned that Funeral homes actually sell clothes for burial. When I inquired the difference between a burial suit and one a kid would wear to the prom; they said: “Burial suits don’t have pockets. There’s no need for them. They are not taking anything with them.”
Mary and Joseph’s marriage was going to be different than anyone else’s who would ever live. They would get married after they discovered that she was pregnant--- but not by way of the birds and the bees-- she would get pregnant by means of God’s plan and decree. It was a virgin birth.
Their marriage would be different because there would be a perfect person in their home and it would not be either of them. Think about it, when they had marital disagreements all they had to do is ask Jesus, “Who is right?” The Wonderful Counselor lived in their home.
Yet, one of the things that happened from the beginning was that they prioritized God in their family life and decision making. You see, God came first. There was no question about it. After all, God lived in the house.
The presence of Jesus in her womb sharply defined their lives. When Jesus gets in the middle of your life He deals with your motives and choices when it comes to presents and possessions.
If you will notice, Mary identifies herself in this song she sings after the angelic announcement as being two things:
a) Humble
b) A bond slave
Her pursuits were radically impacted by the presence of Jesus. The spiritual in her life trumped the physical. You will notice that possessions take a back seat. Do you know why? She knows God is the provider of all things.
She is so focused on the provider. She knew if God could provide a Savior through a virgin girls womb to provide salvation to the world; then God could provide for whatever she needed.
Therefore, she focuses on her provider.
a) In verse 49 she calls Him “The Mighty One” who has done great things.
b) In verse 50 she calls Him the provider of “Mercy.”
c) In verse 51 she speaks about God’s arm, His hands, and how they exalt and lift up.
There prioritized the spiritual over the physical. A physical focus at Christmas makes God your Santa Claus. Your financer of a good time a good season. Yet, when God gets in the middle of your Christmas and you get into what this is all about-- about the coming of Jesus; you get all caught up in the giver over the gifts.
The song that Mary sings is Exhibit A of a person who is all caught up in her focus on the giver.
Illustration: Royal love story
In the Royal lineage of Great Britain there’s a love story that rises above them all.
On January 20, 1936 Edward VIII became the King of England. All the honor and prestige of that office was given to Him but it was short lived. The reason? Because of love.
He fell in love with an American woman so less than a year later; December 10, 1936 he gave up his position as King so he could marry a woman named Bessie Wallis Simpson.
Application:
Love does that to people doesn’t it? It leads them to make radical life changing decisions. Mary knew that the announcement to her was not only an announcement to her personally; but to the whole world.
Mary at the first Christmas understood what Paul would write later to the Corinthians. He wrote: “ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, in that you through His poverty might become rich.” I Corinthians 8:9
This Christmas I invite you to do like Mary, to “ponder and treasure some things in your heart.” Luke 2:19
Three times in the Bible Mary is described in this manner. She was a ponderer-- she thought a lot about what this birth meant. In turn, she treasured all these things in her heart.
She was overwhelmed by the giver of the greatest gift of all.
Transitional Sentence: From Mary’s song we discover how Jesus presence fills our hearts with hope and real joy when we might be tempted to think: “I don’t have enough?” We leads us to:
II. Avoid the Various Kinds of Greed
Vs. 53-“He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.”
Explanation:
In Luke 12:15 Jesus gave warning to us saying: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.”
Jesus was telling us that greed comes to us in disguise often so we have to be aware of its deception.
Greed can be disguised in religious overtones where people preach that God wants you to be wealthy and “blessed”--- when in reality, I guess Jesus was not blessed because he said: “Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man doesn’t have a place to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20
The fact is, Jesus knew what it was like to experience poverty, as well as have possessions. His baby crib was a feeding trough for animals, but he also had a robe of great value before His death -- that was so valuable that the Roman soldiers would not tear it into pieces, instead that gambled over it.
Mary seems to understand that God gives physically to us and even says: “He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.” Vs. 53
If you have financial blessings that’s great! Just remember who gave you the blessings. God even said in the Book of James that God blesses us spiritually and materially in life. He even speaks of blessings in business and the language we should use when we make plans for financial prosperity.
He said: “Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this city or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.... instead you ought to say, “if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this and that.” James 4, 13 & 15.
Greed is avoided through gratitude and praise. When God gives to us materially greed is avoided by honoring God. We do that through giving to God and to others. We are called to generosity and grace.
Mary saw the ultimate blessing of her being the mother of the Jesus. She even said: “From this time on, all generations will count me blessed!” vs. 48
She was poor in material things but blessed in spiritual things and she noticed it all. She was not fixated on what she had in her handbag; she was fixated in who she had in her womb. She celebrated all God’s blessings and did not get fixated on stuff over the Savior.
Illustration: Merry Christmas bandit
In 2019 a bearded man in Colorado entered a bank on Monday before Christmas in Colorado Springs, robbed it left slinging money at people saying: “Merry Christmas!”
As people picked up the cash they told the CBS affiliate: “He was throwing money all over the place yelling, Merry Christmas” only to go to a local Starbucks and wait for police to arrive. “
The guy’s name was David Wayne Oliver and he simply said: “I just wanted one time in my life to have the ability to give to others the way I always wanted to.”
Application:
Do you know where David made his mistake? It started long before his “Monday before Christmas” incident. It started with the idea that you can make your mark in life by simply giving money and possessions to others.
In our family album is a picture of me as a child one Christmas morning. Christmases at our home were a big deal. I cannot remember a Christmas when I didn’t get something I really wanted. Yet, that picture from my childhood has me sitting and playing in the boxes that everything was wrapped in. I loved the boxes more than I loved the gifts.
As I think back, I only remember a few sentimental toys-- some of them I still have. Yet, I do remember the love I sensed on Christmas day as our family gathered, prayed, and enjoyed the moment of celebrating Jesus. I treasure that the most in my heart.
There’s a song called : “Can’t buy me love.” Those four lyrics are so true. Especially at Christmas time.
Transitional Sentence: From Mary’s song we discover how Jesus presence fills our hearts with hope and real joy when we might be tempted to think: “I don’t have enough?” We leads us to:
III. Engage in Soul Filling Worship
vs. 46-47- “And Mary said: My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”
Explanation:
It’s easy for our hearts to get crowded especially at Christmas time. There’s a lot of things in the world crowd our heart. In Jesus story of called “the Parable of the Soils” he compares our hearts to soil where seeds of God’s Word fall.
This time of year those seeds are often the stories of Christ’s birth. The stories of a manger, shepherds, Simeon, and the stable. Yet, Jesus says that our souls can get crowded as He said: “And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.” Mark 4:7
Those thorns are defined by Jesus as being: “...the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things...” Mark 4: 18
One of the reasons why God allowed Jesus to be born into a family of humble means was to provide a place where God is truly comfortable. He is comfortable in an uncrowded heart. In a spacious heart God can move. There’s a deep spiritual connection with us. His presence is experienced and real hope and joy results.
Mary’s heart was full of Jesus even more than her womb was and the result was that she sang a song expressing her praise and her worship overflowed.
Worship to many is simply a religious act, yet it is so much more; it is one of our greatest expressions of our hope and confidence in God. Worship is commanded by God because it does something on the inside of us; it builds up our faith.
If I were to ask you, “Why did God tell Moses to say to Pharaoh?” The answer is: “Let my people go.” Why? Was the command to let God’s people go a command to allow them to go to the Promised land? (The land of milk and honey)
Actually, it was not. The Bible tells us that God commanded him to say: “The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you to say, Let my people go so that they might worship me in the wilderness...” Exodus 7:16
Do you see what God was doing here? They needed to go to the wilderness to worship so that they would be prepared for the milk and honey.
The fact is: God wants to set our hearts right through worship and then and only after then- to give us the milk and honey.
In the same way, before the Christmas feast and festivities, we need worship otherwise we are not ready for the “milk and honey.” Amen?
Mary knew something good was coming. That was a “someone” the Messiah was on His way and nine months later she would hold He who is the supplier of all things in her arms. But before that one who is the supplier of salvation comes; she needed to go out to the wilderness. She needed to go out to the countryside.
She needed to go out to Elizabeth’s homeplace and see how God had brought an old woman past her prime, have a miraculous baby in her womb, and she needed to go out to the countryside and get away with God and prepare her heart for the one who she would give milk from her own breast and honey from her own table.
Yet, all the while, she knew.... Yes, Mary knew... He would be the one who provided for her greatest need, for while she held him and placed him in a cradle, Jesus would walk on His own to the cross and lay His life down for her, and for you and me as well.
Illustration: Worship saved a life
Ira Sankey was a hymn writer for D L Moody. Long after the war, he would still sing in public and one Christmas eve night he was on a steamboat providing entertainment for the passengers.
That night he sang an old Christmas song called “The Shepherds song. “
After he sang the song a man came up to him and asked him if he had served in the Civil War. Immediately he said, “Yes, I served in the Union army.”
He then asked, “Were you on picket duty at night in 1862 and did you sing that song back then?” Sankey said, “Actually, I did. I sang that song to pass the hours at night almost every night.”
The man broke down in tears and said: “I recognized your voice. I was a sharpshooter for the Confederacy and one night I saw you on duty and was about to shoot you when you began to sing that song and I couldn’t do it after I heard you worshipping. The sound of your voice I never forgot.”
Application
Worship saved his life, but even today, it still changes them perhaps the most at Christmas time.
At Christmas, God wants us to worship first and foremost. He wants it to be our priority, and only after that will be prepared for to celebrate in the right frame of mind with gifts, feasting, family, and festivities.
Don’t miss Christmas by missing out on celebrating Christ-- the One and Only Promised One who not only shepherds, wise men, and Mary worshipped but you and I can as well! When you do, you’ll always know; you have enough, more than enough!
